Second Chances
by ashes at midnight
Summary: Short, mid-season 3 fic. After almost driving Elena off the Wickery Bridge with vampire blood in her veins, Stefan seeks solace in a bar and meets someone who has a little experience with brooding vampires.


**Disclaimer: Buffy, Angel and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Stefan Salvatore belongs to L . J Smith, the CW, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. The plot however belongs to me.**

**A/N: I've always found similarities between _The Vampire Diaries_ and _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, ever since I first read the VD book series back in the day. It's only been these last two weeks or so that I've finally gotten around to seeing the series – I'm fashionably late – and I love it. I admit, my reluctance to see the show was because of my love of the book series, and I wasn't a fan of the initial changes to the characters.**

**This little scene came to me while watching "All My Children' in Season 3 and finding out that Stefan hasn't been drinking human blood since almost driving Elena off Wickery Bridge and threatening to turn her into a vampire. I was curious about what changed his mind, and I came up with this little crossover.**

**This story is set just after the Season 3, Episode "Our Town".**

**Read and Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>. . .<strong>

**Second Chances**

Stefan had been driving for hours, it was dark, and a Gibbous Moon was high in the sky. The highway was virtually deserted as he headed South-West, The old 1963 Porsche ran like a dream, but it was quickly running out of gas.

He rounded a sweeping corner, amongst the trees he could see a lights and a large open space, coming up on his right. He smiled. It was a car park, designed to cater to anything from cars and trailers, to massive rigs. A roadhouse and Motel was at one end, while a gas station was at the other.

He smiled and pulled off the highway, wheels skidding on the gravel as he stopped abruptly in front of the gas pump. He filled the car, and paid for the gas in the little shop, before walking back outside.

He stood in front of his car, jiggling the keys in his hand as he stared across the car park. He could hear music and laughter from the lively roadhouse and it had caught his attention. He had been driving for a while, he was getting tired, and his teeth ached from being so hungry.

Making up his mind he got back into his car and drove across the car pack. Parking next to a group of black Harley Davidson's with California numberplates.

He got out and locked the car, stuffing the keys in his pocket as he walked up the wooden steps and crossed the deck. The Roadhouse was built along the lines of a log cabin, with thick wooden tree trunks for the walls, and large sheets on tin covered the roof. Now that he was closer he could hear that the music blasting from the speakers was a mix of country, and classic rock.

It could have been worse.

As he entered a few people standing near the door looked at him as he walked past. It was a large place, with one half of the Roadhouse being turned into a restaurant, and the other a bar. The bar was almost full with bikies and truckies stopped for the night. On the other side of the room, in the restaurant there was a family of four finishing up a late meal, and a few couples enjoying a night out. At almost 9.30 it was getting late, and most of the restaurant was empty.

He turned away, and through the bar. He nodded, to a few who turned to watch him, but apart from that nobody bothered him. That was good, because at the moment he was just seconds from losing control. He hadn't had anything to drink all night, his senses were heightened, and he was hungry.

He stopped at the bar and sat on an empty stool, waiting to be served. The pretty barmaid came over with a smile, her bright purple hair, a bit of a contrast to the rustic bar but it suited her. It was pulled back from her neck into a no-nonsense ponytail. "What can I get for you?" she asked, looking at him through a pair of dark blue eyes.

Stefan took a deep breath, his gaze focused on the side of her neck where the carotid artery was throbbing. The beat of her heart thundered in his ears. "Scotch, on the rocks. Please." He said before he looked away, struggling to hold back the bloodlust he could feel threatening to overtake his mind.

What he had done tonight was unspeakable. He had threatened to turn, and then kill the love of his life, Elena, to get revenge on an old enemy. Klaus had kept him a prisoner in his own mind for months, forcing him by using compulsion. Klaus took his humanity, turning off the feelings he had for her and everyone else in his life. He was nothing more than a shell to be used for killing and nothing more.

Hell, it was a great way to live, but it couldn't last. His friend Lexi's return as a ghost, even if only for a few hours was the catalyst he needed. Lexi forced him to remember who he was, she opened up a hole where she could worm her way inside, and make him feel again. It took pain and torture in the form of inciting the bloodlust all vampires had, but it worked. He started to feel again, if only for a moment.

He kept the feelings at bay as best he could, knowing there were more important things to worry about. Klaus needed to be stopped, by any means necessary. He used Elena as leverage, knowing that she was important to Klaus because her blood was used to create his beloved hybrids.

He threatened to kill and turn her – effectively stopping Klaus' ability to change werewolves into hybrids – so that Klaus would leave him and his friends alone.

It worked. Klaus backed down. But at what cost?

The look of betrayal on Elena's face as the car had skidded to a stop in the middle of Wickery Bridge had chilled him to the bone – though he had hidden his feelings well. She had sucked air through her lungs desperately, her hands clutching the door tightly, blood covering her lips and chin where he had bit his own wrist and forced the blood down her throat. Her eyes were wide, and as they turned to him they were full of terror, disbelief, and disgust.

"What did you do to me?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "Were you going to turn me into a vampire? Stefan? Were you going to kill me just so Klaus would back off?"

He could hear her heart thundering in her chest, she was terrified.

Of him.

"Get out," he said to her, his voice as cold as steel. "Get out of the car now."

Shaking uncontrollably, Elena let out the breath she was holding. For a moment Stefan considered reaching out and grabbing her arm, intent on making her stay with him. But instead he stayed silent as she wrenched the car door open and got out. She slammed the door behind her and started walking back the way they had come.

Stefan snarled to himself and put his foot on the gas. He left her there in the middle of the road as he drove away without even a backwards glance.

"Here you go," the waitress interrupted his thoughts.

Stefan sighed, trying to focus. He thanked her and gave her the money to pay for the drink. It was hard to concentrate with the sound of her beating heart in his ears.

This morning it wouldn't have bothered him, he would have drunk his fill and compelled the entire bar to forget afterwards…but now?

He couldn't do it. Hands shaking, he reached out and wrapped his hand around the cool glass of his drink, taking a sip before putting it back down.

"Hi," a voice said to his right. He jumped, startled and quickly looked over. A young, blonde, woman had sneaked up on him and sat perched on the stool beside him, learning over the bar, her attention focused on him. He frowned, hiding his curiosity, it had been a while since someone had managed to do that.

He watched her closely, not even bothering to be discrete about it as the barmaid walked over to the young woman. She ordered a coke-cola, which made him raise his eyebrows.

As the barmaid came back he found his attention again focused on her exposed neck, and he had to turn his face away.

The barmaid put the drink down and took the money, giving him a smile as she walked off.

"I'd be careful if I were you," the woman beside him said quietly, before taking a drink of her coke.

Stefan turned his head. "Excuse me?" he asked, puzzled.

The woman sighed and put down her drink. She leant back and opened her jacket, revealing a wooden stake strapped to the inside lining. "Like I said, I wouldn't be starting anything in here, otherwise I would have to stake first, ask questions later."

He was silent for a moment, digesting her news. She obviously knew what he was, though he had kept his face impassive.

"You're a Slayer," he said, and she smiled. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Nothing really, just moving through. I'm meeting my husband up in DC tomorrow. We've been apart for a few weeks. I had some vampire issues down in New Orleans I had to deal with but that's all sorted now."

He looked away and took another sip of his drink. "So, you decided to have a drink on the way home?" he asked.

"Seemed like a good enough idea as any. I've booked a Motel room for the night," she said, "I could use a bit of rest and a drink."

"The hard stuff I see," I said, amused.

She smirked, "of course, I didn't realize there would be a vampire here."

Stefan hissed and looked around, but nobody was close enough to hear over the music. The barmaid was on the other side of the room, clearing tables. The bikies table was getting rowdy.

"Relax," Buffy said quietly. "I'm not here to kill you…" she paused, "unless you want me too, that is."

Stefan didn't say anything, just took another drink of his scotch.

Buffy sighed. "While we are just sitting here, you wanna tell me what your deal is?" she asked.

"My deal?" he said in amusement.

She snorted, "Yeah, your deal. The reason you are sitting in a bar alone, looking like you would rather be drinking something –someone- else."

He looked away. "I'm working on it. I'm trying to…stop."

Buffy turned her head around and stared at him with wide eyes "You're trying to stop?" she whispered, surprised.

He sighed. "I threatened my ex, threatened to turn and kill her, all to get revenge on an old enemy."

"She's human?" Buffy whispered.

Stefan nodded and took another drink.

"Wow," Buffy whispered.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Buffy was silent for a few seconds, watching Stefan closely. "I met my husband when I was 16, and he was 242," she said deadpan, waiting for his reaction.

Stefan stared at her as a grin slowly spread across Buffy's face. "We've been together for almost ten years now. Married for three."

"Wow." He muttered.

She smiled. "Yeah,"

"Did he ever…" he paused.

"What?" she asked sympathetically.

Stefan sighed softly. "Did he ever lose it? His humanity, his control?"

Buffy smirked. "Once or twice."

"And what happened?"

Buffy was silent for a few seconds thinking it over as she looked at him intently. Sitting here, brooding – she hadn't known him for long but already Stefan reminded her of her Angel. They had such a similar outlook on life, and seemed to carry the same guilt that comes with being a vampire. "We dealt, and when the time came I helped him get through it," she said.

"You forgave him?" he asked, unable to mask the glimmer of hope in his voice.

Buffy smiled. "Always."

The barmaid wandered over, "Do you guys want another drink?" she asked.

"Yeah," Stefan said, holding out his empty glass. Buffy nodded.

They were both silent as the barmaid took their empty glasses, filled them again and took the money. She wandered back with the change before turning to the people sitting next to them.

"Why did you?" Stefan asked, lowering his voice.

"Forgive my husband?" Buffy asked. She shrugged, "I love him. I've always loved him. Why wouldn't I forgive him?"

"What if what he did was unforgivable?"

"Are we talking about him, or you?" she asked bluntly.

Stefan didn't say anything. With a sigh Buffy reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "If she loves you she will forgive you, because that's what you do when you love someone."

He looked away and took another gulp of his drink. "How can I expect her to do that? I'm a monster, I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Oh, boy. This is just Deja-vu all over again." She muttered, taking a sip of her coke, before putting it down on the bar. "Look, do you love the girl or not?"

"Of course."

"Then you need to work on you first. Get yourself together, work on this _thing_ you've got going on, and then go back to her, and work it out."

Stefan nodded. "Yeah. I can do that."

"Good," said Buffy, "Now go."

Stefan laughed and drained the rest of his drink before sliding out of his seat and getting to his feet. He was about to leave when she reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her, puzzled.

"Although," she said firmly, "just letting you know, if I found out you've fallen of the wagon, again. I will hunt you down and put a stake in your heart."

Stefan smiled, and inclined his head. "It was nice to meet you too Buffy."

With that he turned around and headed out the door, grabbing the keys from his pocket as he started heading to his car. It was time to put his guilt behind him, and maybe one day, when she was ready Elena would be able to forgive him.

Though he would never be able to forgive himself.

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><p><strong>THE END<strong>

**A/N: Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you liked it. This is my first Vampire Diaries fic and I hope I did the world justice. I'm a huge fan of the books from back in the day, and just recently have started watching the show. Suffice to say I'm a little obsessed. :P**

**Until next time,**

**Ashes**


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